Drought resurfaces Pantabangan’s sunken church
Due to a drought that has affected large areas of the Philippines, a centuries-old settlement that was submerged during a dam’s construction in the 1970s has surfaced again.
In spite of the intense heat in the area, tourists are drawn to the ruins at the center of the Pantabangan Dam in the province of Nueva Ecija.
Following several months of “almost no rain,” portions of a church, a municipal hall marker, and tombstones started to reappear in March, according to National Irrigation Administration supervising engineer Marlon Paladin.
The settlement, which dates back almost 300 years, has surfaced six times since the reservoir was built to produce hydropower and supply irrigation water to nearby farmers.
“This is the longest time (it was visible) based on my experience,” Paladin told AFP.
The reservoir’s water level has fallen nearly 50 meters (164 feet) from its normal high level of 221 meters, figures from the state weather forecaster show.
The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelagic nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
About half of the country’s provinces, including Nueva Ecija, are officially in drought. Tourists wanting a close-up of the ruins pay around P300 ($5.00) to fishermen for a short boat ride out to the temporary island in the middle of the reservoir.
Nely Villena, who lives in Pantabangan municipality, regularly visits a viewing platform overlooking the dam to see the ruins.
“The view is better when the water level is low. If the water is too high... all I can see is water,” Villena, 48, told AFP, as a strong wind whipped across the water, providing relief from the scorching heat.
‘Badly need water’
The actual air temperature in Nueva Ecija has reached around 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) most days this week, with the heat index hovering above the “danger” level of 42C. The heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.